THE GARDEN WARBLER. 
185 
spection by Dr. Burkitt, represented a female or young male 
black-cap : — on the 21st of August, 1834, one of these birds was 
seen by this gentleman near Dunmore, county of Waterford. One 
was shot on a hedge-row at the rectory of Dunmore, county 
of Galway, and about seven miles from Tuam, on the 1st 
of November, 1842. It had been observed there for the few 
preceding days; the specimen was kindly forwarded for my 
examination by the Rev. B. J. Clarke of Tuam. A female or 
young male black-cap, in Mr. R. Balks collection, was found dead 
in his father's garden in the town of Youghal, in the second week 
of January, 1838. Dr. Harvey mentions in the Fauna of Cork, 
that he saw two of these birds in company in November, 1839, 
both of which were taken. 
The wintering of the black-cap in Ireland, as shown in various 
instances from north to south, is a singular circumstance. Being 
generally considered one of the latest summer birds appearing in 
England,* it may, I think, be fairly concluded that the occurrence 
of an individual on the 1st of March, at which date one was obtain- 
ed near Belfast, is rather indicative of a winter residence than of 
an unprecedentedly early arrival. The black-cap has in a few in- 
stances been procured in England during winter, t 
The bird described in Rutty's Natural History of the County 
of Dublin, vol. i. p. 317, as the “ black-cap," is obviously not the 
Sylvia Atricapilla. 
THE GARDEN WARBLER. 
Greater Petty chaps. 
Curruca hortensis, Bechst. 
Sylvia ,, Lath. 
Seems to be extremely rare in this island. 
The following observations on this species are copied from the 
* Mr. Henry Doubleday of Epping, remarks in a letter to a mutual correspondent 
that he has often seen the black-cap in March, and therefore looks upon it as one of 
the earliest summer visitants. 
t Yarr. B. B. vol. ii. p. 308. 2nd edit. 
